Door-operating mechanism.



J. W. GOTOBED & R. F. FQRWARD/ DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

M'PUCATION FILED MAR-2711916.

Patented Feb. 20,1917

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2 SHEETSSHEET l.

L'W. GOTOBED (Q R. F. FORWARD DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED MARZY, X916.

6mm Feb. 20,1917,

Pat

1 u wm 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

M @Yafiobecl JOSEPH w. across-.0 Ann :aoscon F. FORWARD, or VILLISGA, IOWA.

noon-OPERATING MECHANISM.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH and Roscon F. FORWARD, citizens of the United States, residing at Villisca, in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa,

haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-()perating Mechanisms;

andiwe do declare the following to be a full,

clearfand exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

- Our invention is an improved door operat ing mechanism designed more'particularly for use on garage doors, the main object being to provide a mechanism .of' this class which willnormally lock the door or doors in closed position but which will be operated to open the same by an automobile entering or leaving the garage.

Another ob ect is to so construct the improvedmechanism as to allow it to be operated manually for use on cellar doors or others mounted on horizontal hinges.

With these general objects in View, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is an inner side view of a pair ofv hinged'garage doors showing the applicathe line 2-2 of Fig. 1

tion of the invention thereto Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the plane of Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing one of the doors in open position; and

Fig. t is a sectional view through a floor and a vertically swinging door therein,

showing a modified form of the door operating mechanism.

In specifically describing the construction shown in the drawings above briefly described, similar,characters willbe placed on corresponding parts throughout the several views and reference will be herein made to. the numerous elements by their respective indices. To this end, the numeral 1 repre-v sents the door frame of a garage while the doors thereof are shown at 2, said doors be- 'Specification of Letters Patent.

W. Go'rosno Patented Feb. 2@", 191m.

Application filed ll/Iarch 27, 1916. Serial No. 87,076.

metal bracket 4, while carried by the oppo-- site side of said frame in horizontal 'alinement with said bracket, is a bearing 5, a rock shaft 6 being mounted in said bracket and bearing, said shaft lying parallel with the doors 2 and being positioned at right angles to the axes of the hinges 3.

. A pinion or a-segment thereof is keyed to one end o-fthe shaft 6 as shown at 7, said pinion being in mesh with a gear segment 8 mounted on the inner end of the bracket 4, an upright rod 9'being pivotally connected at its upper end with said segment as shown, openings 10 beingpreferably provided for allowing said rod to be moved adjacent or remote from the axis of the segment as oocasion may demand. The lower end of the rod 9 is adjustably connected by a turnposed in advance thereof. Both tracks 14 are hinged together as shown at 15 and a coiled spring 16 is connected with said hinge so as to normally raise the tracks 14: to the position shown in Fig. 2, from which position they are adapted to be depressed by the weight of an automobile entering or leaving the garage. This depression of the tracks 1% will so operate the segment 8 as to turn the pinion 7 and shaft 6, operating connections being provided between the latter and the doors 2 whereby these doors will now be opened.

The connections just referred to will be' I hereinafter specifically described, but before so 'doing, we deem it advisable to state that although a pair of tracks 14: have been shown for engagement by the wheels of the automobile, said tracks might well be replaced by platforms extending throughout the.

width of the door frame as will be readily understood.

The operating connections between the shaft 6 and doors 2 are here shown in the form of a pair of. arms 17 rigidly secured at nected with t application of the invention, oneend of a angles to the axes of the doors, a pair of arms secured to said shaft, a pair of links 7 last named purpose.

ing ,shown in the present embodiment of the provided-between the links 18 and the aforesaid arms",fin order that the latter and the doors may'swing in difiere'nt directions.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings, blocks 20 are swiveled on the free ends of the arms 17 and the links 18-are equipped with forks 21 receiving said'blocks and pivoted thereto .upon axes extending transversely of the arms and links. (The other ends of the links 18 ar'e ofiset verti 'cally at 22 and provided with integral balls 23 received in sockets 24, which latter are secured toqthe doors 2. By this construction and arrangement, all parts may move in thene'cessary manner as the doors are opened by the weight of an. automobile or 25- closed by the tension of the spring 16.

said mechanism is to operate a pair of v'er-' tic ally swinging doors 2 Consequently, the

.. bracket 4* must be secured to the lower side 40 of the frame of said doors, thereby disposing the shaft 6 beneath the same with the arms 17 dependin from said shaft and con- Ee doors by links 18. In this rod9 is connected to the se ent 8, while the other end of said rod is pivoted to a lever 30 which rises beside the frame of the doors. Obviously, when said lever isoperate'd, the mechanism will open the doors and the weight of the latterwill normally hold the same in'closed osition.

' desired a sp'ring mig t be employed for the From the foregoing, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner'of operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation, and although we have de- 0 scribed the improved mechanism as a plied to a garage door and a cellar door, it will be understood that it could well be used in other connections and that it could be operated by the weight of horses or horse-drawn 6 vehicles,,or by theweight of'a person. Furtagesthereof, 1 mvention for illustrative purposes. It is es sential, however, that loose connections be -.-"-1.--,, 'I hjj:combinationwith a swinging door,

I an axis lying parallel to the door and at As clearly shown in Fig 2, the links 18- and a pair of swinging t However, if-

,;. thermore, although certain specific details have beenshown and described for illustrative purposes, "numerous, changes .maybe made withinthe scope -of the invention as claimed without sacrificing the main advan- 7 .We, claim: v

of anoperating arm therefor mounted on right angles'to thedoor axis, said-armnormally extending away from the door, a block swiveled on the free end of said arm, a link pivoted at one end to said block on an axis extending transversely of said arm and link, the other end of said link being oifs'et laterally and connected universally to the door, .and means for swinging said arm.

2. The combination'with'a swinging door, of an operating arm therefor mounted on an axis lying parallel to the door and at right angles to the door axis, said arm normally extending away from the door, a block swiveled on thefree end of said arm, a link pivoted at one end to said block on an axis extending transversely of said arm and link, the other end of said link being offset latorally and having a ball thereon, a socket secured to the 'door and receiving said ball therein, and means for swinging said arm.

3. A door operating mechanism of the class described comprising an operating arm and means for swinging said arm, a block swiveled on the free end of said arm, a link pivoted at one end to said block on an axis extending transversely of the arm and link, and a universal joint carried by the other end of said link for attachment to the door. 4. The combination with a door frame doors for closing extending parallel,

'the same,'o f a rock sha "to the fraine'in spaced relation with the inner side thereof and disposed at right .said bracket and meshing with said pinion,

a rod pivoted at an eccentric point to said segment, and means for operating. said rod. 1

5. In combination, a rock shaft adapted.

to be disposed parallel with the inner side of the door frame and at right angles to the axes of a pair of doors hinged to said frame, a pair of rigid arms projecting in 1 the same direction from said shaft, a pair of links connected looseLy at one end with the free ends of said arms and having universal joints on their other ends for connecting them with the doors, a bearing and cow LEIWJLBQ W pivoted at an eccentric point to said segment, and means for operating said rod.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH W. GOTOBED. ROSCOE F. FORVARD. Vitnesses F. L. INGMAN, S. W. COLEMAN. 

